My United Airlines flight from Frankfurt to Chicago, onboard a 787-10 in Polaris Business Class, was one of my most pleasant United flights in years, with amazingly attentive and friendly service, delicious food, and an extended deep sleep (after a redeye the night before).
United 787-10 Polaris Business Class Review (FRA-ORD)
As a reminder, I was traveling on a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Addis Ababa that I booked for $2,634.50. This segment was booked into economy class, but upgraded to business class with 40 Plus Points.
After my redeye from Addis Ababa, I visited the Air Canada and Lufthansa Lounges in the B gate area before heading to the Z gates, where all U.S. flights depart from Frankfurt. The Z Gate area has its own Lufthansa Lounge, but I find it inferior to the B Lounge because it tends to be more crowded and because there is no barista-made coffee.
Boarding commenced at 8:10 AM, though I was among the last to board at 8:30 AM. Frankfurt is not very disabled-friendly, with everyone forced to take their hand baggage down a rather steep flight of stairs to board (it’s even worse on arrival in Frankfurt!).
United Airlines 945
Frankfurt (FRA) – Chicago (ORD)
Tuesday, April 9
Depart: 08:50 AM
Arrive: 10:55 AM
Duration: 09hr, 05min
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10
Distance: 4,344 miles
Seat: 1L (“Polaris” Business Class)
The flight was very lightly booked in all three cabins. I generally start with info about the seat, but will cut right to the chase with the service.
Service
In a word, the service was flawless.
Linda, the purser as well and Deb and Rebecca, the flight attendants who served my side of the aircraft, were some of the kindest, friendliest, and most attentive flight attendants I’ve had in years on United (and frankly have had since then…and I’ve had many wonderful FAs).
It was both subtle and overt. I was warmly welcomed onboard, greeted by name by Linda, and thanked for my 1K status. Deb constantly checked on me and was happy, in that motherly way, to give me a second breakfast when I was still hungry (the cabin was only about 2/3 full, but fully catered).
When I woke up from my slumber as we approached Chicago, Deb showed up immediately, asked if I had a good rest, then offered me lunch—taking the time to fully explain the options instead of just saying “pasta or beef.”
I loved the smiles, the genuine warmth, and the service flow, which was quite efficient (breakfast served within 20 minutes after takeoff, which was great since I wanted to go to sleep).
Food + Drink
Speaking of food, I was fortunate with this flight and enjoyed great meals…which is not a given on United.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served after takeoff, and I had pre-ordered the beef filet:
Roasted filet of beef
with cheddar and parsley frittata, hash browns, Hollandaise sauce, grilled asparagus and cherry tomatoes
This was a very nice dish: the steak was excellent (cooked medium) and the frittata had a great flavor and texture. Even the Hollandaise sauce was excellent.
On the side was a warm croissant, fresh fruit (orange, strawberry, watermelon, and blueberries), and coconut yogurt (with chia seed, pomegranate and muesli).
I ate every bit of it…and was still hungry. United does not serve ice cream sundaes on breakfast flights out of Europe (the dessert choices were cheese or cheesecake), so I asked if there was any banana bread left and was obliged not only with a second entree, but a full tray (“Please eat it so it doesn’t go to waste!”).
Warm banana and walnut bread
with cranberry compote, vanilla sauce and maple syrup
This was definitely a dessert and a delicious one at that (and I’m not generally a fan of banana bread).
Mid-Flight
A snack cart was set up in the galley with salty and sweet snacks plus whole fruit and leftover cheese plates and cake.
Pre-Arrival Meal
About an hour before landing, a second meal was offered, with a choice between a Wellington cheeseburger or pasta with tomato sauce. I chose the pasta:
Spiced tomato rigatoni pasta
with basil pesto, Parmesan, baby mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes
As far as airline pastas go, this dish was also a winner…as was the side salad (not the muffin…).
I suppose I could have had the burger too, but I was not hungry at this point.
Great food on this flight….
I just drank water, but United’s wine list has significantly improved since my flight…kudos to United for its serious investment in onboard adult beverages.
Seat
Now, back to the seat.
The 787-10 business class cabin, branded as “Polaris” by United, features 44 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Rows 1-11, all between door 1 and 2, constitute business class. Seats are 20.5 inches (52 cm) wide and recline into a fully-flat 6’6″ (198 cm) bed. All Polaris seats include direct aisle access.
Seats include a universal power port, USB-A port, and seat controls that can easily adjust the seat between the upright and lie-flat mode and any angle in between. There’s also a side storage compartment large enough to store personal items like phones and wallets.
United offers what I consider to be industry-leading bedding in business class, with a plush duvet, two pillows, a mattress pad (on request), and a throw blanket. All times are Saks Fifth Avenue branded.
Aided by a cool cabin and personal air vents overhead, I slept for over six hours, which is incredibly solid for a flight that is only 8.5 hours long…few things are more refreshing than falling into a deep sleep after a sleepless night.
Sadly, no UA flight would be complete without a messy cabin…how sad that United cannot figure out how to deep clean its aircraft.
IFE + Wi-Fi
I did not connect to Wi-Fi on the flight, but a Wi-Fi pass was $21 (United promises free Starlink is coming). United’s in-flight-entertainment library includes a solid mix of movies and TV shows, with a smattering of games, music, and podcasts.
Noise-cancelling headphones were below-average, but are now being phased out.
We had a fairly long taxi out of Frankfurt, which offered ample opportunity for plane sighting:
We also had a nice approach over Chicago:
Lavatories
The 787-10 has two lavatories in the front of the aircraft and two behind the cabin. All three are reserved exclusively for Polaris Business Class. I used the lavatory to brush my teeth after breakfast and found it clean, with extra hand creme and facial mist from Therabody.
Amentity Kit
Fanny-pack style Therabody amenity kits were left at every seat. I did not open it, but contents included:
- skin mist
- eye serum
- lip balm
- hand cream
- dental kit
- eyeshade
- earplugs
- pen
- tissues
- socks
CONCLUSION
All things considered, this was a really great flight…one of my best-ever on United. Warm service, delicious food, and a solid rest proved to be a winning combination on United…it rivaled my ICN-SFO flight as my best flights in years.
My only complaint, as is true of almost every United flight, is that the plane was not deep cleaned. I truly do not understand why United struggles so much to keep its aircraft clean.
Oh, there was an interesting “incident” after landing…I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.
Was this before the partnership with laurent perrier?
Yes.
As a reminder, UA has been serving complimentary Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV Champagne to its United Polaris passengers. It is the first and only U.S. airline to serve that particular non-vintage Champagne. Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut NV offers more Chardonnay and longer ageing than most Champagnes in its class.
On previous Polaris flights I usually binge on foreign movies but yesterday’s Polaris movie menu had very few. Without a blue-tooth connection with the IFE the volume was low, barely adequate (using a wired connection with my Bose blue-tooth headphone).
The halibut main dish and pre-arrival three cheese ravioli was very good. The flight attendants were excellent. The amenity kit came in a blue colored Brook Brothers pouch.
thought there were 2 lavs in front
Do the FAs no longer allow PP to use the lavs between Polaris and PP? Would be great if flying J if that were the case
You are correct- I neglected to count the one right outside the flight deck.
When was this flight? United has completely different dishware, linen, flatware, glassware and paper menu for the last several months … Maybe half a year.
Date is right there from last April. Hopefully will have an updated Polaris review soon!
Can it be called a filet if it is the size of a coin?
It was small (and obviously left me hungry), but hey, at least the quality was good and it was cooked medium.
Their portions are always too small; they use a small main plate to make it look larger, but its not; is that fine china, or just a plastic plate? They need to get more competitive with SQ and Thai Air, in terms of inflight catering and service.
What a wonderful flight! It is absolutely amazing to fly in UA Polaris Business Class… And B787-10 is one of the jetliners of the future.
Polaris food ex-EU is usually better than ex-US.
Coach food, too!
I think UA’s coach food is now among the best in the business, esp versus US/EU carriers.
UA 787-10s actually have two lavs in front (1 ahead of door 1L and 1 just behind door 1R) and two behind the forward Polaris cabin. All 787s have two lavs up front.
Seriously. Clean. Your. Planes. Sheesh! The scent that United uses for its soap in the lavatory reminds me a bit too much of ‘urine,’ so it kinda ruins it for me. I prefer DL’s Grown Alchemist and even AA’s Radio Bombay soaps over it. Sorta petty, but it makes a difference. Also, they gotta get a new safety video… blue balls. *facepalm*
100% agree and speaking of the power of marketing, I love Grown Alchemist so much (thanks to being introduced to it on Delta) that I bought some for home.
Recently flew the same flight and have to agree with the review. Service was top notch and the food was excellent. Visited the Polaris lounge in Chicago, which was absolutely phenomenal! United is now the best US airline for premium travel and rivals most European airlines.
Agree that Polaris lounges are a great value-add. Delta One Lounges are still much better, in my opinion, than any Flagship or Polaris Lounge, but I think all U.S. carriers are highly competitive on transatlantic routes.
You’d rate all the Delta One lounges as better than that Polaris lounge at ORD?
JFK and LAX a definite yes. SEA, just behind.
I’m pleasantly surprised to see and hear about the tasty food and learn about the FAs being really helpful and friendly!
But… holy coffin, Mattman… 20.5″ width? That’s barely more than the width of the typical economy seat!
I guess I’m spoiled after my recent ANA and JAL business class flights, but — particularly as a side sleeper — a 20.5″ width is just super-uncomfortable and I find it sad that U.S. carriers seem to all have such narrow beds.
I do love the ANA and JAL business class seats and of course they are vastly superior, but I find the UA seat to be excellent and far better than not only all Lufthansa Group carriers (though I have not flown Allegris yet), but also DL, even on the 359 and 339. I think BA’s Club World Suite is excellent and so is AA’s new Flagship seat.
I flew United’s 787 in Economy to Tokyo earlier this year. I try to fly Asian airlines whr traveling as far as Asia but I was pleasantly surprised with United. Even the blankets in Economy were very very nice.
Agreed that the new light blue economy class blankets and the green neck pillows are really about the best you can expect in economy class on any carrier.
Frankly this review sounds like an advertisement. No mention of the 8-inch wide passage to the (cramped) outboard seats? I was shocked at how meager the accommodations were. WAY behind the international competition.
Do agree that the Polaris lounge is very good. Mine was at Newark, and flights were delayed by hours as usual. Oh well.
Definitely not a paid advertisement…have had many bad United reviews as well, but the crew was excellent on this flight and it really was a big deal.
Matt, to be very honest with you, I didn’t even read the review because of your opening paragraph, “My United Airlines flight from Frankfurt to Chicago, onboard a 787-10 in Polaris Business Class, was one of my most pleasant United flights in years, with amazingly attentive and friendly service, delicious food, and an extended deep sleep”. All your United reviews have a positive spin and don’t come across as objective. As a long time reader, it is clear that you have a connection with United leadership and that inflight crews are likely given a heads up you are a passenger. In some ways you are the subtle Tim Dunn Delta advocate equivalent for United Airlines.
You’re delusional.
Read this review:
https://liveandletsfly.com/review-united-airlines-777-200-polaris-business-class/
https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-bad-flight/
I got upgraded to Polaris BRU IAD 777-332 on Dec 24th. I too was blown away by the FAs, the food, the seat and just the overall flight. Great review. I even emailed to thank UA and highlighted how great the flight was but they.never bother to reply.
Thanks, Timothy. Happy New Year!
Matt, my apologies. Didn’t recall those negative reviews. Do you feel like you are totally objective when it comes to United? Maybe it’s me, but United appears to get more favorable coverage on your blog. Admit you do give credit to American and Delta when they meet or exceed your expectations. Also concur with your current freelance approach to purchase airfare and routing irrespective of earning status.
Maybe write an article bringing awareness to the years expired contract those wonderful flight attendants are working on?
I have written many on that matter:
https://liveandletsfly.com/?s=flight+attendant+contract
1) Interesting review. Thanks!
2) I don’t recall ever needing to go down stairs to board an aircraft in Frankfurt. Is this a feature of the Z gates? Remote stand? B gates have normal jet bridges.
3) “Amentity kit” (sic) in the subhead.
4) Two different spellings of creme/cream in bathroom/amenity kit descriptions.
5) Thanks for sharing your review.
Good review. By chance, did United respond to your lack of cleaning issue? Thank you.
No feedback from UA, though someone told me my review was posted on the employee website.